Coral's first birthday party

[guppy_sandhu]

Outside in a quiet corner of the garden, well away from the lake, a birthday party has been set up.

There's a paddling pool with some toys in, a picnic spread out on a cloth, and a sign saying 'Happy Birthday Coral'.

Comments

[guppy_sandhu]

Coral, who has just been splashed in the face by an EVEN BIGGER WAVE, starts to cry. Guppy picks her up and gives her a soggy cuddle.

"Hey!" Fry says, glaring at Hilde and pointing at his sister. "You made it make the bad noise!"

"Fry, don't call your sister 'it' please." Guppy says. "Say 'her'."

[ostro_goth]

"That's a baby," Hilde says, holding her dress up so the hem is at knee-height. "We have two at home, too. They're cute now they don't scream so much."

[guppy_sandhu]

Fry doesn't get cute. Nobody has yet managed to explain the concept to him.

"You made her cry, say sorry." he says.

This is Important. (Because crying hurts his ears).

[ostro_goth]

"I'm sorry, little baby," Hilde says to Coral, very earnestly. "You're a very sweet baby! Now stop crying."

[guppy_sandhu]

Coral quietens down. Guppy pops her back in the paddling pool and she sploshes around contentedly.

"Who are you?" Fry asks, watching her.

[gotland_npc]

"I'm Hilde!" Hilde says. "The King brought me in! I hurt my leg -- look, here! My mum and Gotho were all worried, but your dad made it all right again. And he shot me with some titta-thing. But it didn't hurt!"

[guppy_sandhu]

"Guns are dangerous." Fry says.

"Not that kind of shot." Guppy says. "Like an injection, a jab."

"No jabs, no jabs!" Fry says, looking alarmed.

"You don't have to have one." Guppy says. "Not today anyway."

[gotland_npc]

"But it didn't hurt, silly!" Hilde says.

[guppy_sandhu]

"Mine did." Fry says. "I got a sticker."

[gotland_npc]

"And that hurt?" Hilde says.

Of course, she's never seen a sticker.

[guppy_sandhu]

"Yes." Fry says.

"At home they have to do it with a needle." Guppy says.

[gotland_npc]

"What is a sticker?" Hilde asks. "Needles can hurt. My mum says bad words if she hurts herself sewing."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Which ones?" Fry asks. He knows lots of bad words.

"You stick it on things." he adds.

[gotland_npc]

"She says the names of southland gods and their rude parts!" Hilde says. "That's fun. Just not Demeter, because she's for real."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Like... bottom?"

[gotland_npc]

"Like tits!" Hilde giggles. "And worse things!"

[guppy_sandhu]

"Oh, like bollocks." Fry says.

"Fry! No swearing!" Guppy says.

"Then what do I call these?" Fry asks, pointing to his privates.

"Testicles, if you must talk about them..."

"Load of tess-tickles!" Fry shouts.

"That's enough." Guppy says sternly.

[gotland_npc]

"My mum says balls," Hilde giggles.

[guppy_sandhu]

"Balls and bollocks!" Fry shouts.

Guppy gets up, strides to the paddling pool and picks him up. Fry screams and wriggles, but his father carries him effortlessly over to the path and sits him down.

"This is the naughty spot. You were warned not to swear. You will sit here for two minutes."

Fry pouts, but doesn't get off the spot. He knows how this works. Guppy comes back to the party and turns his attention to his daughter.

[gotland_npc]

Hilde looks at Guppy, then at Teja, worried that the King will do something similar to her because she said rude things, too.

Teja just looks at her sternly for a moment. That should be enough.

[guppy_sandhu]

"How are the other children?" Guppy asks Teja.

Coral crawls over to Hilde and starts using her to stand up.

[ostro_goth]

She helps her up. "Do you want to dance, little baby?" she giggles.

"The twins are doing well," Teja says. "They are big enough to sit on their own and to roll around, now; able to escape from the bed-bench and get into mischief. Liuta has made them little pillows with animal heads, as I had been telling about the stuffed animals children from the future have. Valeria has a dog, and Myrtia a cat."

[guppy_sandhu]

"Real ones?" Fry asks, from his naughty spot.

[ostro_goth]

"No," Teja says. "They are pillows, more or less, with corners tied off and embroidered for paws, and a big corner for the head, with bits sewn in and on. And a braided tail."

[guppy_sandhu]

"That sounds nice." Guppy says, still ignoring Fry for the moment. No talking on the naughty step.

"I can't believe it's a year since we had Coral. She was so weeny."